Pride and Prejudice
by Sepia Painter
Summary: NOT a Pride and Prejudice Crossover. AU. In a society where appearences, rules, and social standing mean everything, can love stil flourish between two people mandated to never be together? Specific Summary inside.
1. The Meeting

**Pride and Prejudice**

**Summary**: NOT a P&P Cross-over. AU. Shuichi Shindo is from a poor household, working to make his living, with no prospects. One fateful night, he meets the mysterious Mr. Eiri Yuki. Follow these star-crossed lovers as they battle not only each other's stubbornness, but the rules of society that will never allow them to be together.

**Disclaimer**: None of these characters are mine. I use them for fun, and not prophet.

**Warnings**: Language, sexual situations. PG-13.

**Author's Note**: While watching the movie adaptation of _Pride and Prejudice_, I realized some comparisons that could be made between Yuki and Shuichi's story and that of Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy. Please keep in mind that this story is _very_ roughly based on that movie, and takes pieces of that era, the modern era, and Gravitation's own original story to create what you see here. It's my very loose interpretation of the classic love story, and I hope you enjoy.

**----------**

**Pride and Prejudice**

There were whispers among the dancing couples, rumors that three of Tokyo's most prominent figureheads were on their way. Some called the idea that they should show up _here_, of all places, nonsense. After all this was a public ball, and everyone knew that a public ball was a bit louder, a bit rougher, and—in the eyes of those with status in the world—a sight more distasteful.

Shuichi Shindo did not care one bit from moment to moment if the rumors were true. He laughed, and danced, and chatted with friends and neighbors, taking turns with all the prettiest girls who batted their lashes and twirled their dresses a little higher than necessary. He drank a little because he felt it would add to his pleasure, and coughed down the strong alcohol they served, and winked at a few of the attendees because he liked to laugh at their startled faces.

Ryuichi Sakuma stood beside him through it all, talking and dancing with all the girls, never mind if they were beautiful, and drinking more than Shuichi did because he could hold his strong liquor.

They were in it for the fun, for the escape, for the momentary pleasures of life they couldn't enjoy at home. After tonight it was back to work and back to the mundane, until the next ball came to pass.

Their arrival was sudden, unannounced, but as the doors opened and curious eyes swiveled in that direction, silence fell quickly over the room.

Shuichi cut off his laugh in an instant as he felt the quiet pressing through the crowds, and turned to face them like everyone else, eyes widening at the sight.

His face was that of a fallen angel.

He was tall and pale, with smoldering golden eyes and honey blonde hair that cast shadows on his sharp features in the candlelight. He stared straight ahead as he walked; his eyes fixed on nothing in particular as groups of people to his left and right bowed when he passed. He was powerful, and rich, and deserved nothing less than cast-down eyes and a low bow or curtsey.

Shuichi didn't know him.

He leaned close to his friend, to whisper in his ear in an attempt to avoid breaking the precarious silence. "Ryuichi, who's that man?"

Ryuichi glanced over his shoulder at Shuichi, then turned back to the newcomers, the angel and two others Shuichi had little interested in. "You don't know? That's Eiri Yuki, the famed novelist. He makes ten-thousand a year _and _owns most of the farm lands in Tokyo.

Shuichi hid his smile behind his friend's shoulder. He found it highly comical that a simple request for a man's name gave him not only that, but the profession, income, and status in the world of said man.

Yuki and his companions made their way forward slowly, with the controlled pace of nobility. Shuichi bowed with the others in the crowd, when his time to do so came, but didn't lower his eyes perhaps as long as he ought to have. He watched as Yuki walked by, and then found himself meeting the man's enticing honey-gold eyes. Shuichi's heart leapt with sudden ferocity, but he stood his ground carefully and refused to look away.

Before too long, the gaze passed him by and was fixed straight ahead once again, the tall, stoic body steadily pacing forward.

Shuichi couldn't help himself. He let out a high-pitched giggle, his heart still thudding wildly, cheeks flushing pleasantly.

As Yuki and his company reached their destination, a spot at the head of the room, they stopped and turned and Yuki gave the slightest of nods. The stupor of respectful quiet suddenly fell and the festivities began again, as though nothing had happened. Shuichi had nearly forgotten the dancing and merry-making that he'd been part of mere moments ago; Yuki's appearance had captured all his attention. Suddenly the wild hoots and shouts and stomping seemed inappropriate and Shuichi felt ashamed to be there. He tried to shake the feeling, and found that he was unable.

"The man to his left is his brother, the woman his sister. Tatsuha and Mika, respectively," Ryuichi told him, again leaning close to speak in his ear, this time to yell over the raucous cries and stomping and shouting of the party-goers.

Shuichi nodded, dumbfounded, unable to tear his eyes away from the angelic face of Mr. Eiri Yuki. Ryuichi shook him, chuckling. "You look like you're about to faint! Here, drink this," he said, shoving a cup of the strong alcohol into Shuichi's hands and pulling him towards a group of pretty girls who were peeking shyly at them from behind their fans and handkerchiefs.

Shuichi did his best to keep his mind on the conversation, but his eyes kept straying to the threesome at the head of the room. Men and women from the crowd were making their introductions to the siblings. Shuichi wanted desperately to do so as well, but propriety kept him in his place. He watched them come and go, until one person in particular bowed before the group and began to speak.

"Ryuichi," Shuichi said hurriedly, whacking his friend on the arm with an absentminded gesture of his hand. "Mr. Seguchi is over there. He appears to be making introductions. He keeps pointing over here."

Ryuichi's eyes flitted over, and he smiled a little. "Asking _permission_ to make introductions," he corrected.

Shuichi turned to his friend and laughed again, though he didn't quite know what for. He felt giddy and excited, and his stomach was turning in loops. "That important, are they?"

Ryuichi laughed as well. "Sometimes you are so dense, Shu."

It was then that Shuichi noticed the girls had left their small grouping. He frowned for a moment. "Where did—?"

Ryuichi smiled widely. "Like I said, sometimes, you are really dense. They left a while back, whilst _you_ were staring at Mr. Yuki."

Shuichi wanted to protest his innocence, and he started to, but then shut his mouth and smiled before draining the cup in his hands of all it's liquid in one swallow. There was no use lying to Ryuichi.

"Gentlemen," said a quiet voice from behind them, "join me, please."

Shuichi jumped and turned to face Tohma Seguchi, his boss as well as Ryuichi's. The man was small, pale, and to an unknowing outsider, the epitome of manners and professionalism. Shuichi only had one word to describe him: frightening.

"Both of us?" He asked timidly, shrinking back into Ryuichi. His friend put a reassuring hand at the small of his back.

Tohma's steely eyes fixated on him, gaze sharpening as he smiled in a way that managed to be both polite and eerie. "I believe that's the reason I used the plural when I spoke." He turned on his heel and made his way back through the crowd, Ryuichi following smoothly, Shuichi hurrying to keep up.

They reached the head of the room together, Tohma standing a step in front of them. He bowed deeply, and they followed suit. Shuichi's bow was almost needlessly deep, but he felt awkward now for staring at Mr. Yuki directly during his arrival, senselessly wanting to apologize for his rudeness by bowing deeper than anyone else. When they rose, the three siblings nodded their heads in return.

"May I present Ryuichi Sakuma and Shuichi Shindo? Employees of my house," Tohma said calmly.

Ryuichi nodded his head when Tohma said his name, Shuichi did the same. When he looked back at Yuki, the man's gaze was fixated firmly upon him. Shuichi's skin prickled and he felt a shiver jolt through his spine.

"Mr. Sakuma, Mr. Shindo, I have the privilege of introducing you to Mr. Tatsuha Uesugi, Mr. Eiri Yuki, and Mrs. Mika Seguchi,"

Shuichi couldn't help the sharp look of disbelief that wreaked havoc on his face for a moment. He hadn't realized Tohma married, let alone related to what must have amounted to one of the most powerful families in all of Tokyo. His mind raced with a thousand and one thoughts at once.

Tohma prattled on about inane, unimportant things, making all the courtesy gestures, smiling and laughing at the appropriate moments. Ryuichi made himself appear comfortable and went along with the jokes and the chatter. Shuichi stood stiffly, not trusting his body or his mouth to perform with adequate respect. He'd had the barest of training when dealing with men and women of status, and with his emotions boiling through him as they were now, he didn't dare speak, nor move until he was bidden to.

"It is wonderful to have you home, my dear Mrs. Seguchi," Tohma said sweetly, taking his wife's hand and pressing a gentle kiss to it.

"It is wonderful to be home, Mr. Seguchi," Mika said, her tone implying anything but joy at being there.

"You are all welcome to visit, at any moment during your stay. Call upon my humble house at any hour," Tohma said, bowing and turning to leave.

Shuichi bowed as well and followed his boss, not daring to look up at the threesome again. Tohma disappeared into the crowd, no doubt to return home and leave the distasteful party behind. Shuichi was certain his employer had only come to make his introductions to the esteemed guests.

Suddenly, mind overflowing with thoughts, Shuichi grabbed his friend by the arm and steered him behind a staircase, forcing him to crouch in the shadows, away from prying eyes and ears.

"Mr. Seguchi has a wife?" He said in an explosion of breath he didn't realize he'd been holding.

Ryuichi rolled his eyes. "You haven't been working for Tohma for very long, Shu. There are things about him you still have yet to learn. Yes, he has a wife. A bitch of a wife, I say." Shuichi's eyes grew progressively wider as Ryuichi dared to not only call his employer by first name aloud, but call the man's wife a bitch as well.

Ryuichi cackled at him. "She leaves on visits to extended family members and friends around the country. She's often gone for more than a year at a time, but she always comes home for a few months, to keep up appearances. Their marriage was arranged by her father, because their two families had money and status. Mika hates Tohma almost as vehemently as she hates being tied down to one man, so she leaves as often as possible."

Shuichi felt slightly dizzy. It was true, he had only been working with Mr. Seguchi for a little more than a year, but he never would have guessed the man had a wife.

"So he's related to him, then. Mr. Seguchi and Mr. Yuki are relatives?"

"By law, yes."

"And Mr. Yuki is…?"

Ryuichi eyelids lowered, and he smirked a little, catching the meaning behind Shuichi's pause. "Single."

"Ah," Shuichi coughed a little. "Not that it's any business of mine, just a curiosity."

"Of course," Ryuichi said slyly. "Now, if you've finished, I'm going back to the party." His friend stood, stooped a little under the stairway, and made his way back to the dancing and festivities.

Shuichi stayed put, wrapping his arms around his legs and watching his friend flirt and drink and dance. Minutes creeped, by, until almost and hour had passed, and he still hadn't been able to quell the waves of emotions rampaging inside of him. He couldn't figure what half of them were, and some of them he didn't want to understand at all. He tried to shove them into a little bottle inside himself, and cork the top to keep them from spilling out.

Throughout his time spent alone, he couldn't help but seek out Yuki's form. After most of the introductions had been made, he and his siblings mingled throughout the crowds. Shuichi noted with little interest that he turned down offers to dance at every turn. Never once did he accept.

_Not that it matters_, Shuichi thought to himself, shaking his head to clear his thoughts of the mysterious Mr. Yuki.

It almost worked, until minutes later he was cast in the shadows of the tall form of Mr. Yuki and his brother. They stood near the staircase he was crouched under, drinks in hand.

"I quite like the look of Mr. Sakuma. He's a handsome man," Mr. Uesugi said whimsically, twirling the contents of his cup in an absentminded way. Yuki looked at his brother, and then back at the swarms of people. He managed to appear bored and disinterested as he spoke.

"Hmm. Perhaps you should watch your words. Public places such as this are often full of prying ears. You wouldn't want to unveil your…fancies…to just anyone."

Shuichi gasped a little as the meaning of their words caught up to him, and then quickly covered his hands with his mouth. Mr. Uesugi fancied men?

Tatsuha's facial expression changed, becoming more cunning and yet joking. "What about that Mr. Shindo, hmm? I saw him staring from across the room, and you looked at him quite piercingly when he was introduced. He's quite handsome as well."

What little emotion had been showing on Yuki's face completely drained away. "I must disagree. His disposition is barely tolerable, and I, unlike you, have no interest for such things."

_Barely tolerable…_

Shuichi's eyes burned, but he couldn't blink. They stayed open in shock as the two brothers chatted back and forth before moving on throughout the crowd. A deep, crushing feeling of sadness and bitter anger coursed through him, but he pushed them aside into the little bottle and shoved the stopper deep into the neck, keeping them at bay. He refused to feel such things. Not for such a cruel, haughty, despicable man.

He crawled slowly out from his hiding place, brushing the dust and dirt from his jacket and pants and setting out into the crowds to find Ryuichi. His evening was ruined, he just wanted to go home.

Shuichi found his friend quickly, but to his dismay, Ryuichi was standing with both Tatsuha and Yuki, talking animatedly and making them smile just slightly at whatever he was saying. Shuichi was just about to turn away, to disappear into the crowd until his friend became free of the men, but Ryuichi spotted him and beckoned him forward. Shuichi could have cursed his friend to hell right then and there when both of the men turned to face him, Tatsuha with a smirk on his face, Yuki regarding him with apprehension.

_So displeasing to him he can't even keep the distaste out of his eyes_! Shuichi thought bitterly. He made his way forward with a smile, however, and joined the conversation as merrily as he could.

"Shuichi! There you are, I was just discussing with the gentlemen the different appreciations of beauty with it comes to love," Ryuichi said happily.

Shuichi closed his eyes for a split second and breathed out hurriedly, trying to imagine his frustration leaving his body with the oxygen. What an appropriately hideous topic to discuss with the man standing in front of him.

"A delightful topic, I'm sure," he said calmly, looking into Yuki's eyes with a sharp gaze of his own. The damned bastard didn't even blink.

"As I was saying, I think that there are varieties of beauty in every person, depending on the person looking. For instance, a woman—or a man—could easily appear ugly to one person, and be the most beautiful creature on earth to another…"

"You would prove this how, Mr. Sakuma?" Tatsuha interrupted.

Ryuichi's eyes glinted mischievously. "Let's use you as an example, sir. Can we?"

Tatsuha nodded his approval.

Ryuichi grinned. "Wonderful. Now, I can look upon you at this moment and see that you are a handsome man," Ryuichi said evenly, his expression baring no hint of the awkwardness Shuichi began to feel as he remembered Tatsuha's own private affections for Ryuichi's looks. "But to someone else in this room, you could just as easily be a hideous creature. How can this be?

"To me," he continued, "your looks are not handsome based only on the color of your eyes, or your hair, or the nature of your skin, though those attributes do not detract, certainly. You are handsome aesthetically as well as characteristically. The fact that I view you as an essentially good man makes you just as handsome to my eyes as your features do. But another in this room may not view you as an essentially good man, or may in fact see you as an essentially bad man, and would therefore see you as ugly, no matter your physical appearance."

Tatsuha began to chuckle, the good-natured sound of one who was thoroughly pleased by a joke he'd just heard. "And how would your good opinions of me change if I told you that I was not, in fact, and essentially good man?"

Ryuichi's answering smirk practically smoldered in the air. "My opinions would not change, for I have already seen how handsome you truly are. And though I may lose my good opinion of your character—should you prove to me you were not a good man—your looks are now enough for me to judge you handsome."

Tatsuha laughed, and this time Ryuichi joined in. Shuichi giggled nervously, badly embarrassed for his friend for making such remarks when he had no idea how true his words would be had the roles been reversed. Yuki smiled a little, the look one of polite boredom more than anything.

"And what of love, Mr. Sakuma. How does love work out in your theories?"

"Quite simply, sir. Once the attentions have been captured based on beauty, love is not far behind. Love needs only to be fed, to be encouraged by both willing parties."

"Encouraged? You sound as if you know a great deal on this matter," Tatsuha replied with a raised eyebrow.

"Perhaps. I have seen and done enough to know what pleases some and negatively affects others."

"An example, sir?"

"Love notes, poetry, songs," Ryuichi listed simply with a shrug of one shoulder. "It is a simple thing, but for most it communicates some form or another of adoration. Haha! In fact, a perfect example for you. Some months ago, there was one creature I found more beautiful than all others, and I wrote a poem in the space of a single night. Mr. Shindo, my dearest friend, put paint to it for me, and I gave it to the young lady. She was quite fond of it, but alas, her father disapproved of my affections, and like a gentlemen I did has he bid me and stayed away."

Shuichi couldn't help but laugh a little nervously as the eyes of both Yuki and Tatsuha focused on him once again.

"Did you now, Mr. Shindo? What talent you must have, to please a young lady with your paint." Tatsuha said, amusement still lacing his tone.

"I believe it must have been Mr. Sakuma's poem that captured the lady's attentions. My skills with art are poor, at best."

Ryuichi snorted softly. "What Mr. Shindo isn't telling you is that he heartily disapproved of my poem."

"You are not a fan of poetry, Mr. Shindo?" Yuki asked curiously.

"No, sir," Shuichi said immediately. "The ability to write poetry is an art I do not have, and I envy anyone, man or woman, who has the skill for it. I disapprove of love being expressed through poems, however. Words on paper are far more likely to be lies, words told from the heart, however, are difficult to say unless their owner meant them when they were spoken, at least in part."

"But according to your Mr. Sakuma, poetry is the fruit of love," Yuki pressed.

"Of a fine, stout love, perhaps. But I am convinced that if one's heart is not fully in it, one poor sonnet may kill love stone dead."

"So what, then, would you use to encourage affection?" Yuki asked, his eyes growing brighter with rabid curiosity.

Shuichi's bitterness began to bubble forth again. He thought of the countless women Yuki had turned away when asked to dance, when he'd watched from beneath the staircase, and the things Yuki had said about him while he hid under those same stairs. He couldn't help the words rising in his throat, couldn't stop them before he said them aloud.

"Dancing. Even if one's partner is barely tolerable."

With a quick bow, he turned and walked away, smirking heartily to himself while anger and embarrassment coursed through him. He left the dancing hall, and waited in the corridor for Ryuichi, so they could return home together.

**End-1**

**----------**

**Author's Note**: In case you couldn't tell who was who, this is a little cast of characters I threw together. I may add to this at the end of chapters where new characters are introduced.

**Shuichi** – Elizabeth. Shuichi's character both confident, and timid all at once. He does not live with his family, as Lizzie does, but with his employer, Tohma Seguchi (see below). Shuichi both fears and disregards society when it comes to his actions. Thus, the abrupt emotional changes you see throughout the chapter (and later in the story as well).

**Yuki **– Darcy. Yuki is cold, aloof, and mysterious. Being both rich and powerful, women across the country want him, but he has a hardened outer shell to keep those affections at bay. He is very apt to deny his true feelings, so his outward appearance should only really be taken with a grain of salt—he's very good at seeming to feel one way, while really feeling something completely different.

**Ryuichi** – Jane. Ryuichi is not the traditional "happy-go-lucky" Ryu we all know and love in this story. Rather, I took his more serious side and brought it out. He is roughly based on Jane because of the relationship Jane has in the movie with Darcy's friend, Mr. Bingley (see below). While some of his characteristics (such as his very innuendo-based conversation with Tatsuha) are nowhere near that of Jane's personality, he is like a brother to Shuichi, just as Jane is a close sister to Elizabeth.

**Tohma** – ? Tohma is not really based off any one character from the movie or book. He takes on pieces of the roles of Mr. Bennet, Mrs. Bennet, and Mr. Collins. He is mostly his good ol' Tohma Seguchi self.

**Mika **– Ms. Bingley. Mika is portraying Ms. Bingley, the haughty, bitchy sister of Charles Bingley (see below). With her protective attitude of her brother in the movie, I figure changing her from sister of one, to sister of two wouldn't be to far of a jump. Mika has very high opinions, and doesn't like anything but the best when it comes to a match in matrimony.

**Tatsuha** – Mr. Bingley. Instead of the bumbling, fumbling, head-over-heels in love Charles of the movie, Tatsuha is a far more debonair, almost perverted version—much closer to the Gravitation character. True to Pride and Prejudice, however, Mr. Bingley's relationship with Jane Bennet (see above) remains in this story.

Please review and let me know if you'd like this to continue. I really have no idea how this portrayal will be received.


	2. Hide and Seek

**Pride and Prejudice**

**Summary**: NOT a P&P Cross-over. AU. Shuichi Shindo is from a poor household, working to make his living, with no prospects. One fateful night, he meets the mysterious Mr. Eiri Yuki. Follow these star-crossed lovers as they battle not only each other's stubbornness, but the rules of society that will never allow them to be together.

**Disclaimer**: None of these characters are mine. I use them for fun, and not prophet.

**Warnings**: Language, sexual situations. PG-13.

**Author's Note**: While watching the movie adaptation of _Pride and Prejudice_, I realized some comparisons that could be made between Yuki and Shuichi's story and that of Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy. Please keep in mind that this story is _very_ roughly based on that movie, and takes pieces of that era, the modern era, and Gravitation's own original story to create what you see here. It's my very loose interpretation of the classic love story, and I hope you enjoy.

I'd also like to take a moment to thank everyone who reviewed thus far! It's wonderful to hear your critiques and comments, and I hope you enjoy what is to come! I am sorry for the long pause between updates.

**

* * *

**

**Hide and Seek**

"It's a frightful thing to say," Ryuichi whispered disapprovingly. "Someone with his ranking shouldn't have made the remark, especially not in so public a place."

"What difference does it make now?" Shuichi replied, his tone equally hushed. "The party is over and done with; I suspect I shall never see him again."

Ryuichi giggled. "I wish you would. I wish you would happen upon each other at a most inopportune moment. You traded barbs with him quite nicely. The look on his face when you left was priceless. I doubt he's been made such a fool of in his life."

"You take to much joy in it," Shuichi scolded.

"Not at all, my friend, for you see, I am in a position to hope such things."

"How so?"

"Think about it, Shu! We work to live in a house half as grand as Mr. Yuki's. He has everything we will never be able to achieve, and he was born into it. I do not begrudge the man his belongings, his position, his earnings, but I despise a civilized man that can't even say civilized things about those beneath him."

Ryuichi's tone was half joking, half scalding with anger. Shuichi had grown used to the voice, it was normal for him. Living the life they did, in the position they had been born to, it was easy to be scornful. Ryuichi made promises that Shuichi would become like that someday soon.

"What about Mr. Uesugi?" Shuichi said at once, to change the subject. "Do you think so negatively of him?"

Ryuichi's eyes sparkled in the dim light. "No."

"Then you are a hypocrite!" Shuichi laughed.

"Not nearly. He didn't say anything horrible about you or I, did he?"

Shuichi was thankful for the darkness; it helped to hide the blush that formed on his cheeks. "No, nothing at all."

"What _did_ he say, Shu?"

"Hey, knuckleheads, would you pipe down and go to bed already?" Hiro said from across the room in his bed. "I didn't stay home tonight because I wanted to. I _am_ sick…idiots…"

Shuichi breathed out a sigh of relief, thankful for Hiro's sudden outburst. He didn't want to answer the question posed to him. He hadn't told Ryuichi the details of Tatsuha's portion of the conversation. He was afraid Ryuichi would hate him for allowing the banter he'd instigated to happen. He could imagine his outrage…_"Why didn't you stop me?_"…and shuddered at the thought.

He turned and blew quickly on the candle beside his bed before falling into a fitful sleep.

* * *

Beating the rugs always took a lot out of Shuichi.

He was a small man in general. His height had barely reached above five feet before he'd stopped growing, and the meager portions of his meals kept him almost sickeningly lean. Dragging the large, ornate rugs from the house to the yard, throwing them over the pole, and whacking the dust from them with a paddle was almost more physical exertion than he could stand. His body always shook with the effort by the time he'd finished.

Visitors were coming that day. Tohma had ordered everything cleaned, not a corner of a single room was to be left untouched. Shuichi couldn't think who could be so important as to warrant this much work, but he cursed them most vehemently.

And beat one of the rugs a little harder than necessary.

It was as he was dragging the last rug back into place that Hiro came rushing towards him, flustered and flushed. He hadn't quite finished recovering from the cold he'd caught two weeks ago, and all the extra work around the house had worn him down even more.

"Shu!" he said, panting. "Get to your quarters and get dressed, quickly!"

"Wha—why?"

"They're here."

"Who's here?"

"The guests, moron! The guests! Tohma wants us to be present at the door, and they're coming up in the carriage as we speak!"

Shuichi didn't argue, he dropped the last corner of the rug into place and sprinted for his rooms. He made it in moments, rushed about the room to find the appropriate clothing, banged his shins on his, Hiro's and Ryuichi's beds, and finally managed to dress himself in a panic, buttoning the sleeves of his shirt as he ran back to the front of the house.

He made it just in time to step into line with the other servants as the carriage turned the last corner and made its way up the drive.

"Nice of you to join us, Mr. Shindo," Tohma said quietly, stepping forth from the house in one of his finer suits.

Shuichi breathed out in a huff, and then focused on controlling the hurried pants of his breathing as the carriage pulled up and the driver hopped down to open the door for its passengers.

Shuichi's mouth nearly dropped open in shock when out stepped Mrs. Seguchi, Mr. Uesugi…and Mr. Yuki. He kept himself in check, stared straight ahead, and tried to appear un-phased.

Tohma exchanged pleasantries with them, inviting them to his home, wishing them a good stay, everything a host was supposed to do, and they smiled and nodded with all the boredom of those who were used to more accommodations. As they stepped forward to enter the home, each of the servants bowed low before them. When Shuichi lifted his head, he saw Mr. Yuki watching him speculatively.

_That's right, you bastard, I'm a lowly servant boy._

The three siblings passed into the house and Tohma turned to face his assembled workers with a fierce gaze.

"They will stay for at least a month, perhaps more if they should so choose. Nothing is to go amiss in that time. I expect all chores to be carried out with discretion, all cooking to be done with the greatest attention to detail, and that all of you will be invisible in this house. I will not tolerate mistakes or excuses. Understood?"

Each of them nodded before scattering to do their various tasks.

Ryuichi and Shuichi walked through the back entrance, so as to go unnoticed.

"Are you alright, Shu?"

Shuichi looked at his friend scathingly. "No."

"He'll be gone in a month, Shu. Until then, we'll just have to keep you out of sight."

* * *

The first week passed slowly, but Shuichi managed to remain hidden from the guests, including Mr. Yuki. He traded chores with some of the other servants, keeping himself in the back rooms as much as possible, staying out of the more commonly traveled hallways and rooms, and never once did he enter the parlor, the dining room, or the living rooms.

It only was in the middle of the second week, as Tohma and his guests went to the farthest reaches of the grounds to hunt, that Shuichi dared to venture near the guest suites. Hatsuharu had refused to trade cleaning the rooms for washing the dishes; Shuichi was stuck with what he'd been assigned.

He crept into the rooms like a robber might, keeping his steps light, controlling his breathing, searching every corner with his eyes before daring to wander deeper into the rooms. It was silliness, he knew, only the servants would be home today. But he couldn't help it. He'd taken painstaking precautions to keep himself away from Mr. Yuki, and he wasn't about to blow it now.

Once he'd cleared all the rooms, be began his work.

For all Hatsuharu's griping about how much more work it would be to clean the rooms than wash the dishes, Shuichi couldn't help but notice how organized Mr. Yuki had kept everything. The only real evidence of his staying there was the rumpled look of the bedding and the smell of his cologne.

Shuichi, however, was not about to shirk his responsibilities simply because the room _looked_ clean. He took to cleaning the carpets of the sitting room, study, and bedroom first, so they'd have time to air out, then made himself busy scrubbing the bathroom spotless. He organized all the personal affects, such as the comb and oils Mr. Yuki must have used for his hair, and the bottle of cologne sitting on the counter. Then he wiped down the mirror, replaced all the used candles with fresh ones, and closed the door.

He stacked the books in the study into neat piles, and straightened the bottles of ink, scatterings of paper, and the randomly laying pens into their designated places. He scooted the chair into it's proper place, opened the curtains to let some light and air into the room, and made his way back to the bedroom.

He gave each action particular care and attention. He went through lists of jobs in his head, checking to make sure he'd done them all properly, and then rechecking for his own peace of mind. In the back of his head Shuichi heard himself say that he was being ridiculous, and the less time he spent there, the better. But he couldn't help it.

Just as he was finishing making the bed, his final task of the day, there came a voice from behind him. He nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard it, the rough, velvety voice of Mr. Yuki.

"Oh, I'm sorry… you aren't quite done," he said quietly.

Shuichi's heart thudded wildly in his chest, the beat irregular and resonating all the way into his head. "Oh!" was all he managed to say before his voice failed him and his hands started to tremble.

"I'll just retire to a different room whilst you finish."

Shuichi had to swallow twice before his vocal cords were willing to cooperate. "No, no. Stay, sir, I was just about done anyway," and then he turned back to the bed and tucked the sheets in, hurrying to do the job properly and leave. His face was flaming with embarrassment. If he'd just done his work quickly and left, he wouldn't be in this mess. He'd tried so hard for over a week to be a ghost in the home, and had failed because of his own stupid desire to make everything….

_Perfect_…his subconscious finished.

_Look as it should_, he corrected himself firmly. Tohma wouldn't settle for a half-done job.

He set the mountains of pillows into place, smoothed the comforter over the bed one last time, and turned to leave as quickly as possible, bending to gather the bucket of his brushes and rags.

When he stood, he came face to face with Mr. Yuki's broad chest, his body just a few inches from Shuichi's own. He looked up, only then realizing how much taller the blonde man was than himself. It made Shuichi jump again to be this near so unexpectedly, his heart double-timing it's sporadic beat, his cheeks on fire with embarrassment.

"You heard me at the ball?" Yuki said quietly, his voice coming out deep, the sound smooth. It wasn't so much a question as a statement of fact.

"S-s-sir?" Shuichi stammered, his eyes locked onto Yuki's own honey-gold gaze.

"I should not have said such things."

In his head, Shuichi's voice hooted with bitter triumph. _No, you shouldn't have, you bastard!_

Shuichi bowed his head.

"Will you look at me?" Yuki asked.

Shuichi lifted his eyes once again, fighting the desire to hyperventilate. Yuki's cold fingers touched under his chin, bringing Shuichi's face up closer to his own. They stared into each other's eyes for a moment longer than they should have.

"Believe me when I say, I regret it," Yuki whispered. Shuichi could feel the breath of Yuki's words on his face,

Yuki turned slightly to one side, and Shuichi rushed to leave. He'd just made it to the door, and turned the handle, when Yuki's voice held him back.

"I didn't mean them. Not even a little."

Shuichi looked over his shoulder once, nodded, and left as quietly as he could.

----------

Later that night, Shuichi found himself crying in Hiro's arms, while Ryuichi laughed heartily across the room, in his own bed.

"The rat bastard!" Ryuichi laughed. "He actually apologized!"

Shuichi's face grew hot as more tears fell onto his friend's shirt. Hiro's arms squeezed tighter.

"It isn't funny, Ryuichi. Shuichi's hurting."

The laughter ended abruptly.

"We've got little to laugh about in this life, Hiroshi. I'll laugh at what pleases me. It is funny, because a man of ranking, of God damned status, felt badly for something he said to a _nobody_. Do you have any inkling of what that means?"

Shuichi didn't have to see Hiro's face. He knew his friend was glaring hotly at Ryuichi.

"I know what it _could_ mean."

"Does mean, friend. _Does_ mean," Ryuichi's bitter laugh echoed against the walls. "The high-and-mighty Eiri Yuki has feelings for our sparkling little Shuichi."

Shuichi whimpered, his throat tightening.

"Shut up, moron!" Hiro growled, deep in his throat. "You're frightening him."

Ryuichi didn't say anything for a long time, then there was a rustle of sheets and as he settled into bed. "I'm sorry, Shu."

Hiro stroked Shuichi hair with one hand. "Do you want us to take over your chores for you, until Mr. Yuki leaves? Then you won't have a chance of seeing him again, and he won't have a chance to harass you."

Shuichi shook at the thought. "No!" He protested. "I'm fine."

"Then why are you crying?"

Shuichi didn't answer. He felt ridiculous for even thinking it.

…_Because nothing between us will ever come to pass_…

What little he had seen, what little he knew, what little he'd heard of this man, this Eiri Yuki, had captured Shuichi, body and soul. He wanted to know more, see more, to touch his skin again, to look into his eyes and know the thoughts behind them. It was a puzzle, a riddle, and mind-numbing question in the back of his head, on constant reply, taking his emotions for a ride. Why did he feel this way? Why did he want this person? Why did he feel things he shouldn't…for a _man_?

Shuichi clutched Hiro close, and cried himself to sleep.

**End-2**

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**Author's Note**:

So we've introduced Hiro!

**Hiro** - Charlotte. Elizabeth Bennet's best friend in the movies, turned Shuichi Shindo's best friend in this story. Hiro has all the characteristics of a good friend, able to speak up for those he cares about, but also able to stand up for himself and not take anyone's crap. Hiro's story as a whole, is rather minor, but he fits Charlotte's character well.

That's all for now. I hope to post a little more frequently than last time! Review?


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